1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to skate boots for ice skating and inline skating, and, more specifically, to skate boots having a molded outsole that extends vertically about regions of the heel and toe, to capture and direct the transfer of energy from the skater to the blade chassis, and, in turn, the skating surface.
2. Background Art
Skate boots of the type attached to blade chassis for use with ice skates or inline skates are well known in the art. Generally, the blade chassis is attached to a rigid base member or sole. The sole is generally of a single planar material which extends from the toe and ball of the boot to the heel of the boot. The upper portion of the skate boot meets the sole and is attached thereto.
Such a construction has certain drawbacks. The skater, while able to transfer energy to the surface through the blade chassis, incurs significant energy losses. The energy from the skaters boot is transferred through the sole to the blade. At the same time, however, some of the energy generated by the skater is lost before it reaches the sole, and, in turn, the blade of the skate. Thus, some energy generated by the skater is not transferred to the blade chassis and the outside surface. The energy losses result in an overall loss of performance which is especially noticeable upon acceleration and turning or otherwise changing direction.